Alpbach-Laxenburg Group

The Alpbach-Laxenburg Group (ALG) strives to support global economic and social transformations towards sustainability by creating and communicating positive narratives for sustainable development and business opportunities, grounded in cutting edge international systems-science.

Turbines and sun - shutterstock.com (c) Yinspire

Alpbach-Laxenburg Group members include some of the best minds in the world today from academia, governments, business leaders and civil society; people who, independent of national and financial interests, are willing to place their collective knowledge, expertise, experience, and reputation at the service of the world community at this pivotal point in Earth’s development.

The group was jointly launched in August 2013, by the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) and IIASA as part of their ongoing strategic partnership. The initiative was presented to the UN Secretary General, and discussed at a special meeting during the European Forum Alpbach 2013 with the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, Austrian Federal President, Heinz Fischer and senior United Nations officials.

The basic goal underlying activities and deliberations of the group will be to support global transformations towards sustainability by creating and communicating positive narratives for sustainable development and business opportunities, grounded in cutting edge international system-science.

The transformation to sustainability covers much ground, including energy transitions, climate change, atmospheric pollution, world population, food and water, poverty and equity, social justice, world financial and monetary structures, and strategies around the future of the key geopolitical hotspots.

“IIASA’s systems approaches, its scientific excellence, and the Alpbach Forum’s unique and historically proven power to convene meetings with leading political, economic, and industrial players provide an extraordinary platform for interdisciplinary dialog.”

- President of the European Forum Alpbach, Dr. Franz Fischler

“Urgent and concerted steps are required to help human beings, societies and their economies, and the environment itself on which we depend, to transform to a sustainable development path. Today’s business-as-usual scenario is no longer an option.”

- IIASA Director General and CEO Professor Dr Pavel Kabat

Great Thinkers hike Tyrolean mountains in Alpbach (2014)

VIDEO

The Alpbach-Laxenburg group, containing great minds from all corners of the globe, spent a day together hiking the Tyrolean mountains, visiting the last working mill in Alpbach and working in seminars high up in the inspiring atmosphere of Böglhof. Produced by the Media Academy of the European Forum Alpbach.